Cap-feeding mechanism



Dec. 3, 1929. w CAMVERQN 1,737,569

CAP FEEDING MECHANI SM Filed June 22, 1927 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Dec. 3,1929. w. CAMERON CAP FEEDING MECHANISM Filed June 22, 1927 5Sheets-Sheet 2 I Thai /wt:

D 1929- w. CAMERO N CAP FEEDING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June22, 1927 I A I ,mm mm 27 Mil/f4 u w wam Dec. 3, 1929. w. CAMERON CAPFEEDING MECHANISM 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 22, 1927 n u MN, m 5% Q aQ k w M h, wv a 5 N @J m 8 Q 1 NM H7 .II mm mm 6 L wm/ 34M I21... 6\IKIIEIIL T J i l NW 9 a A 4 Dec. 3, 1929. w. CAMERON CAP FEEDINGMECHANISM Filed June 22, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 inc/675507 Patented Dec.3, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE WILLIAM CAMERON,-OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR 'TO CAMERON CAN MACHINERY 00., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS,A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS oAr-rnnnme MECHANISM Application filed June22 This invention relates to machines for ap- Y plying can ends, eithertops or bottoms, to

can bodies and more particularly to the feeding mechanism of suchmachines for feed- 5 ing the caps from the cap magazine to a positionwhere they may be attached to the can bodies. An example of this type ofmachine is illustrated in my prior U. S. Patent No. 1,621,580 fordouble-seaming machines, issued March 22,1927, and in my copendingapplication Serial No. 132,413 for square can cap seaming mechanismfiled August 30,

15 patent and application, it has been customary in the past to providethe can caps with vertically turned flanges or curls at their edges sothat they may be stacked in the magazine without nesting and to permitthe lowermost cap to be,easily separated from the rest of the stack andfed to the position where it may be spun on the can body. Such aprovision to prevent the nesting of the caps in the magazinenecessitates the use of a curling machine.

It is the primary object of this invention to do away with the necessityof a curling machine by providing a feeding mechanism which may beemployed in a machine of the above type to feed uncurled caps or capshaving no vertically turned flanges or other means to prevent nesting. I

It is also an object of this invention to provide a feeding mechanismhaving the aforementioned characteristics which is eflicient and capableof being conveniently adapted to machines of the above type now in use.

Other and further objects of this invention will be apparent as the samebecomes better the feeding slide with parts omitted,

understood from an examination of the speci- 1927. Serial No. 200,641.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional View taken at the line 55 of Fi 4 atthe beginning of a feed stroke of the eed slide,

Fig. 6 is a similar view at 'or n ar the end of the feed stroke of thefeed slide,

Fig. 7 is a View similar to Fig. 6 also taken when the feed slide is atthe end of its stroke and illustrating an alternative mode of operationof the preliminary separating knives,

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 5 also with the feed slide at thebeginning of its stroke and with the caps removed from the magazine,

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary'longitudinal section taken at the line 99 ofFig. 4 with the feed slide at the beginning of its stroke,

Fig. '10 is a similar section with the feed slide at the end of itsstroke and i Fig. 11 is a detail view of apart of the feed slide.

Referring to the drawings more particularly it will be seen that thesame illustrate the feed mechanism for a machine for capping squarecans, but it is to be understood that this machine might be modified inthe light of the prior art as represented by my aforesaid patent forusein connection with round or oval cans without departing from theprinciples of this invention.

Number 13 represents the mainframe of the machine in which is mounted arotatable spider 12 adapted to carry the cans into position to receivethe caps. This spider 12 is similar to that in my aforesaid application.The frame 13 surrounding the spider 12 supports an auxiliary framestructure including a shelf 14 extending laterally from the frame catein guide ways formed in the shelf 14, 10?

said member being provided with a feed dog 17 the forward end of whichis normally urged into the position shown in Fig. 9 by a coiledexpansion spring 18. As the slide is moved to the left as viewed inFigs. 9 and 10 on the feed stroke the dog 17 engages with the lowerinostcap which has been separatedfrom the rest of the caps as will behereinafter explained and delivers it to the spider 12 above one of thecans carried thereby. The cap is then spun onto the can by mechanism(not shown) well known in the art.

Since the caps are not curled and are consequently nested quite closelytogether in the magazine it is diflicult to separate the lowermost capfrom the rest-of the stack'and raise the stack clear of said cap so thatthe latter may be removed by the slide. To overcome this difliculty Iprovide a pair of transverse knives 19 and 21 slidably carried by thecover 20 of the shelf 14 on opposite sides respectively of the magazinefor preliminarily separating one or both of the opposite edges of thesaidcap from the corresponding edges of the cap thereabove prior to thefinal separation of the former. These knives are frictionally engaged byspring pressed plunges 22 and 23 respectively so that a positiveactuation is required to move them. The knives 19 and 21 are eachprovided with a cam follower 24 which is adapted to track in cam tracks25 and 26 respectively formed in the slide, the path of the tracks beingsuch as to project the knives inwardly above the flange of the lowermostcap of the stack the latter resting upon a pair of spaced longitudinaltracks 27 carried by the shelf. The plane of movement of the points ofthe knives 19 and 21 is so closely adjacent the plane to which the topsof the tracks 27 extend that the said knives will either enter betweenthe corresponding edges of the two lowermost caps at both sides of thesecaps as shown in Fig. 6 or one'knife will enter between thecorresponding edges of the two caps at one side and the other knife willenter above the corresponding-edges of the two caps at the other side asshown in Fig. 7. In either case the action of the knives will be topreliminarily separate one or both of the opposite edges of thelowermost cap from the corresponding edges of the cap thereabovesufficiently to enable a pair of longitudinally tapered knives 28carried by the slide to enter below one or both edges of the second fromthe lowermost cap upon return movement of the slide to raise the stackclear of the lowermost cap as shown in Fig. 9 so that the latter cap isfree to be removed from beneath the stack on the next feed stroke of theslide. 1

The path of the cam tracks 25 and 26 is such as to cause the preliminaryseparating knives .19 and 21 to be withdrawn on the return stroke of theslide and an enlargement of the track is provided intermediate each oftheir ends to cause such lost motion in the actuation of the said knivesthat while they are projected into engagement with the caps at the endof the feed stroke they are not withdrawn until the return stroke hasbegun and the tapered knives 28 have engaged the caps. As the slide isretracted, the dog upon rearward movement is adapted to tilt downwardlyand pass beneath the caps. Spring guides 30 carried by the shelf act toprevent the forward end of the ca moves to the le tto deliver the cap.

The slide member is preferably in the form of a central slidable member29 carried in a guideway formed between two stationary I by a yokebeneath the member 31 which is adjustably connected to the member 29 bymeans of a longitudinal screw 34 whereby the slide may be made toaccommodate different sizes of caps. v

The slide 16 is reciprocated by means of an arm 35 carried on the end ofa shaft 36 which is in turn carried by a slide which is reciprocable ina guideway 37 formed in the auxiliary frame structure parallel to theguideway of the slide 16. The slide in the guideway 37 is in two parts38 and 39, the former connected for reciprocation by means of a con-.

necting rod 41 to a crank 42 on a shaft 43. The part 39 of the slidecarries the shaft 36 and is normally but releasably connected to thepart 38 by a spring pressed hook 44. The shaft 43 rotates in synchronismwith the spider making one revolution (a forward and return movement ofthe slide 19) for each ad- Vance of a can by the spider. The hook 44 isadapted to be actuateduby a no can no cap mechanism Well known in theart and similar to that of my aforementioned application to release part39 so that no cap will be fed when no can has been advanced by thespider to the receiving position at the inner end of the shelf 14.

The operation of the feed mechanism and its relation to the other parts.of the machine will be apparent from the foregoing without furtherdescription.

The advantage of eliminating the necessity of a curling machine forproviding the caps with curled edges to prevent their nesting in thefeed magazine will also be apparent.

The feed mechanism by reason of its unitary construction may beconveniently installed upon machines now in use employing the old typeof feed mechanism with a minimum of modification of such machines.

I am aware that many changes may be made Without departing from theprinciples of this invention and I therefore do not wish to be limitedto the details shown or described.

I claim: 1. In a cap feeding mechanism, the combination of a magazine.and mechanism for feeding caps from said magazine including 7 movablemeans for partially separating the lowermost cap from the other caps inthe magazine, means independent of the first said means and operablesubsequently thereto for separating said cap sufiiciently to permit thesame to be fed from beneath the other caps, and means for feeding saidcap from said magazine.

2. In a machine for operating upon can caps, the combination of amagazine, and mechanism for feeding caps from said magazine includingmovable means for partially separating the lowermost cap from the othercaps in the magazine sufliciently to permit the entrance of mechanismfor completing such separation, mechanism adapted to enter between thepartially separated cap and the rest of the stack to separate said capsufficiently to permit the same to be fed from beneath the other capsand means for feeding said cap from said magazine.

3. In a machine for operating upon can caps, a mechanism for feeding astack of caps provided with no vertically turned flanges or other meansto prevent nesting including the combination of means for automaticallyseparating the lowermost cap from the rest of the stack sufficiently topermit entrance of a lifting mechanism, lifting mechanism for raisingthe rest of the stack clear of the lowermost cap and means forsubsequently feeding the same from beneath the stack.

I of said slide for partly separating the lowermost cap from the stackwithout buckling the latter cap, and meansoperable upon the re turn ofsaid slide for completing the separation of the lowermost cap and forsupporting the stack above the lowermost cap.

6. In a machine for operating upon can caps, the combination of areciprocable feed slide adapted to feed a cap from beneath the stack,means operable before the return i of said slide for separating one orboth of the opposite edges of the lowermost cap from the correspondingedges of the cap thereabove suffic ently to permit the subsequentlifting of the stack above the lowermost cap, and means operable uponthe return of the slide for completing the separation of the lowermostcap and for lifting the stack.

7. In a machine for operating upon "can caps having non-curled edges,the combination of means for separating one or both of the oppositeedges of the lowermost cap of a stack of nested caps from thecorresponding edges of the cap thereabove, and means subsequentlyoperable for feeding the lowermost cap from beneath the stack.

8. In a machine for. operating upon can caps, the combination of areciprocable feed slide adapted to feed a cap from beneath a stack,means operable before the return stroke of said slide for partlyseparating the lowermost cap from the stack, and means operable upon thereturn of said slide for completing I the separation of the lowermostcap, thefirst means separating the lowermost cap sufiiciently to permitthe entrance of-the second means between said cap andthe rest of thestack and being withdrawn after the second of the slide, and meansoperable before the return stroke of the slide for partly separating thelowermost cap from the stack sufficiently to permit entrance of saidknives.

10. In a machine for operating upon can caps, the combination of areciprocable feed slide adapted to feed a cap from beneath a stack ofcaps, means carried by said slide for separating thelowermost cap fromthe rest of the stack upon the return stroke of the slide. and meansoperable before the return stroke of the slide for partly separating thelowermost cap from the stack so as to permit the entrance of the firstmeans therebetween.

11. In a machine for operating upon can caps, the combination of areciprocable feed slide adapted'tofeed a cap from beneath a stack ofcaps, means carried by said slide for separating the lowermost cap. fromthe rest of the stack upon the return stroke of the slide, and meansoperable before the return stroke of the .slide for partly separatingthe lowermost cap from the stack so as to permit the entrance of thefirst means therebetween, the second means being withdrawn after theentrance of the firstmeans.

12. In a machine for operating upon can caps, the combination of areciprocable feed slide adapted to feed a cap from beneath a stack ofcaps, means including oppositely reciprocable knives for partlyseparating the lowermost cap from the stack, and means subsequentlyoperable for completing the separation of the lowermost cap suflicientlytrance of the first means therebetween.

14. In a machine for operating upon can caps, the combination of areciprocable feed slide adapted to feed a cap from beneath a stack ofcaps, means operable upon the re-' turn stroke -of said slide toseparate the low-- ermost cap from the stack, and means in-- cluding apair of oppositely disposed knives for partly separating the lowermostcap from the stack sufliciently to permit the entrance of the firstmeans therebetween, the slide be-' ing provided withcam the secondmeans.-

15. In a machine for operating upon can caps, thecombinati'on "of areoiprocable feed slide adapted to feed a cap from beneath a stack-ofcaps, means operable upon the return stroke of said slide to separatethe low-i ermost cap from the stack, and means in-' eluding a pair ofoppositely disposed knives for partly separating the lowermost cap fromthe stack sufficiently to permit the enportions for actuating trance ofthe first means therebetween, the i slide'being provided with'camportions foractuating the second means, such cam portions includingmeans'for providing lost motion in the operation of the second, meanswhereby the same will not be withdrawn until the first means has enteredbetween the lowermost cap and the rest of the stack.

16. In a machine for operating upon can caps, the combination ofa'reciprocable'feed slide adapted to feed a cap from beneath a stack ofcaps,'m'eans operable upon the return stroke ofsaid slide to separatethe lowermost cap from the stack, and means for partly separating thelowermostcap from the stack sufficiently to permit the entrance of thefirst means therebetween, the slide being provided with cam portions foractuating the second means, such cam portions including means forproviding lost motion in the operation of the second means whereby thesame will not be withdrawn until the first means has entered between thelowermost cap and the rest of the stack.

17. In a machine for operating upon can caps, the combination of areciprocable slide adapted to feed a cap from beneath a stack of caps onits forward stroke, means carried by the slide for completing theseparation of the lowermost cap from the rest of the stack and liftingthe rest of the stack on the: return stroke of the slide, cam meanscarried by the slide, and means operable by said cain means is-notwithdrawn upon the return stroke of theslide until the engagement of thefirst means with the stack.

18. In a machine for o crating upon sheet metal members, the com inationof a reciprocal feed slide adapted to feed a member from beneath a stackof members on its forward stroke and to lift a portion of said stackupon its return stroke, and means operable before the return stroke ofsaid slide for partly separating the lowermost member from the stackwithout buckling the latter member. 7

In witness of the foregoing I afiix my signature. v

WILLIAM CAMERON.

